Improvement



J. ARMSTRONG, Jr. Corn-Planter.

Patented July 22, 1862.

UNITED STATES i JAMES ARMSTRONG, JR., 0F ELMIRA, ILLINOIS i M PRovEMENT IN cons-PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 35.914, datmtr'uly 22, 1862.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that LJMES ARMSTRONG, J r., of Elmira, in the county of Stark and AStute ot' Illinois, haveinvented a new and improved GorI1-Plauter; and I do hereby declare that the following is n full, clear, and exact description ot' the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making e part ot' this specification, in whic Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section of my invention, teken in the plane indicated by the line :v Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same, partly in section.

Similar letters of reference in both views denote like parts.

This invention consists in the arrangement of an 'oscillating valve working under a. twin tube and Ibetween the openings of said tube and a stationary platform `in such a manner that by said valve the seed dropping down through one branch ofthe twu tubeis retained on the platform, while at the same time the seed depositedon said platform through the other brauch of the twin tube is swept oii' and deposited in the furrow.

It consists, further, in the arrangement of hinged adjustable runners, in combination with inclined cutters and shoes, which serve to open the furrows in such va. manner that the depth of the furrows, and consequently the depth of planting, can be regulated at pleasure.

To enable those skilled in the art to make und use my invention, 1 will proceed to describe its construction and operation with reference to the drawings.

The frame A, which supports the working parts of my seed-planter, rests ou two wheels, B, each of which is provided with a separate axle, (l. Frolu the front cross-liar, a, of the frame A a secondary frame, D, is suspended by means of arms b', which are attached to said cross-bnr in auch a manner that Seidl secondary bar rises and falls freel This iframe cnrries the seed distributing mec 'mism-viz., the hoppers E, and the seed-slide F, and discharge-tubes' G, and also the, runners H and cutters I. The routiers` H are attached to standards o by means of pivots d, and their rear, ends are secured to the upright shauks e ot' the cutters I by means of screws f. These screws pass thrugh slots g, so that the ruu ners A can be raised or lowered at pleasure. The cutters I are rigidly attached to the frame D, their front ends being turned up so as to form the Shanks e, which are fastened to the frame D, and their rear ends being firmly screwed to the dischargetubes G. The runs ners H are intendedA to pass over the ground and the cutters open the furrows, and it is obvious that by raising the rear ends of the ruu ners by means of the slots g audscrewsfthe depth of the furrows is increased, and by depressing the rear ends of the runners thedepth of 'the fnrrows is decreased, and consequently by tlliese Ineens the depth of planting is reguate( The seed is discharged from the hoppers E by the action of the slide F, which ,passes through both hoppers, and to which afreciprocutiu g motion is imparted by the hand-lever G. The slide is provided with two mortises,

.la passing through itin a transverse direction near to its ends in the 'interior of theh'op'pers E,- and through these mortises secondary: slides t pass, 'which are provided with aseries of seedcells, j, of different size. By moving the. secondaryislides i in a transverse direction either set of these seed-cells may be brought under 'the centers of the hoppers, and the seed is admitted to the sume through apertures J: in the upper parts of the slide F, and in moving the slide the seed contained iu the seedcells is discharged through apertures l in the lower part oi the slide. .By the diterent size's of the seedcells iu the secondary slides 'i the quantity of seed discharged from the ho'pper by everyr stroke of the slide F is regulated. From the slide F the -seed is discharged through the tubes G, each ot' which -is provided with two channels, m. and for each double stroke of the slide i the seed is alternately deposited in one and then the other channel. From these channels the seeddrops down upon the platform n, where it is retained by adouble-winged valve Ii until,y bythe return-stroke ot*A the slide F, the position ofthe valve is clranged,.thereb v sweeping theseod previously `deposited ou the platform nldown into the furrow and opening at the same time the second channei'of the tube ,for a fresh deposit of seed on the platform. The valve l1' is operatedby an arm, o, which extends from the seed-slide F, and which catchesover the crank p at, the upper extremity of' the valve-stem q, so that the motion of said valve de ends entirely upon the motion ofthe slide, aus it (the valve) moves between the wings r of the shoes I, which form the lower extremities of thedischarge-tubes G. The wings r prevent the clods from mingling with the newly deposited' seed. The wheels B, in passing over the furrows in which the seed has been deposited, solidify the4 ground. vA lever, J,

which is pivoted to the main frame A, serves -to throw the secondary frame D, with the seeddistrihuting mechanism, out of the ground whenever it is desiredL This lever is operated by a. cross-bar, s, situated in front of ythe drivers seat K, so that the driver, by getting up from his seat, can conveniently throw his Weight on the some, whereby' the secondary frame is raised and the cutters are thrown out of the ground.

Having thus fully `described my invention,

what I claim as new, anddesre to secure by `Letters Patent, is-

1. The arrangement of the oscillating valve H' and platform min combination with the two channels m of the discharge-tube G, and with the seed-distributing mechanism, constructed and operating as and for the purpose shown and described.'

2 The arrangement of the hinged adjustable runners H, secondary frame D, and 'lever J, in combination with the cutters I and shoes I', constructed. and operating as and for the purpose specied.

JAMES ARMSTRONG, JR.. Witnesses:

C, P. BUsWELL, HENRY STRONG. 

